The present invention relates to the field of sports training and more particularly to a baseball pitching training device for use in reproducing the specific pitch finger placement and grasp of the baseball utilized by a particular pitcher.
In the pitching of a baseball the act of pitching is comprised of a number of separate steps during which the pitcher moves from facing forward towards the catcher, to initiating the windup while pivoting to the right or left followed by forward movement and the acceleration of the baseball by the pitcher's arm and concluding with release of the baseball. All of these steps are directed towards the development of acceleration of the baseball towards the catcher. However, while a student of pitching can observe the mechanics of these bodily motions it is difficult if not impossible to observe the particular grasp of the baseball utilized by a pitcher during the course of his pitching. The baseball is covered by both the baseball glove as well as the pitcher's hand and is undergoing rapid movement. This makes it all but impossible to observe particular finger placement by the pitcher. Neither can drawings of the grasping of a baseball by a particular pitcher effectively communicate the actual placement of the fingers on the balls and describe the manner of the overall grip.
While the utilization of a baseball-like structure for communication of the manner of grasping the baseball has been utilized in the past, these have not been regulation type baseball structures. As a result of this deficiency in the prior art, when the ball is actually pitched it cannot perform in the manner of a regulation ball. This is because the structure of the ball has been modified and critical aspects of a regulation baseball are no longer present.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a baseball pitching training device which provides the student of pitching with a means for observing the specific placement of the fingers on the baseball and grasp of the baseball as utilized by a particular pitcher.
It is another object of the present invention to provide indicia of finger placement on a single baseball for both left and right handed students of pitching.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system of presenting finger placement for the pitching of a baseball upon an actual regulation baseball having stitching to effect proper wind resistance characteristics of a pitched baseball.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a regulation baseball presenting precise finger positioning for several different pitches on a single ball.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a baseball pitching training device which incorporates a regulation baseball and therefore provides the normal action, control and characteristics of a regulation baseball.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention.